3 GIRLS ACCUSED OF ROBBING DELI IN NEWTOWN

Three masked teenage girls armed with baseball bats and chemical spray robbed a local deli Friday night, forcing two employees to the floor after spraying one in the face, police said.

The crime puzzled police, who said the town's youth -- particularly its girls -- aren't typically involved in crimes of this nature.

"This is very unusual," said Lt. David Lydem, who supervised the investigation.

Charged with first-degree robbery were Laura McNamara, 17, and Tiffany Thomas, 18, both of 6 Driftway Drive, and Pam Kiska, 16, of 40A Mount Pleasant Road. All three are scheduled to appear in Danbury Superior Court Oct. 6.

Lydem said the three young women entered the Hawleyville Deli on Hawleyville Road shortly before 8 p.m., as the store was closing. They had bandanas tied over their faces and ordered all three teenage employees to the floor, he said. There were no customers in the deli at the time of the robbery.

One male employee was sprayed in the face by the suspects and bound with duct tape, Lydem said. He was later treated at Danbury Hospital. Another male employee ran from the store and called police. A third, female employee was not injured or tied up.

The suspects took $1,900 from the Lotto drawer and cash register, police said, as well as several cartons of cigarettes. Most of the money and merchandise was later recovered by police.

Police arrested the three girls at approximately 11 p.m. after an "intensive investigation," Lydem said. Circumstantial evidence tied one of the suspects to the crime, he said.

Lydem said none of the suspects was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the crime. He also said he couldn't determine what motivated the girls to plan and execute a robbery.

"It's just something they thought up," Lydem said. "They had no good reason, let's put it that way."